Horse-detacher.



No. 819,308 PATENTED MAY I, 1906. J. ORTEIG. HORSE DETAGHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1905.

., minim/W4 5:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORSE-DETACHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented May 1, 1906.

Application filed May 18. 1905. Serial No. 260,999.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEAN ORTEIG, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Phoenix, in

' the county of Maricopa and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and useful Horse- Detacher, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of horse-detachers and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability adapted to be readily operated by an occupant of a vehicle in event of a runaway and capable of releasing the traces, and thereby freeing the animal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a horse-detacher of this character adapted to facilitate hitching and unhitching a horse.

The invention also has for its object to provide means for holding the trace-engaging devices in either of their positions, so that when they are operated to release the traces for unhitching they will remain in such posiitlliOlll until the horse is again hitched to the ve- Another object of the invention is to enable the trace-engaging devices to be independently operated when hitching an animal to a vehicle, so that the trace at one side of the vehicle may be securely fastened before hitching the trace at the other side.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit 'or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

. In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a whiflietree provided with horse-detaching means constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the end casings and a portion of the bottom plate. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the construction for locking the trace-engaging devices in either position. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the operating-hook.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawin s.

i designates a whifl'letree csonsiting of a hollow wooden body portion and a bottom or base plate 2, constructed of metal and provided with end casings or housings 3, receiving the ends of the wooden body portion. The casings or housings are provided with side and end walls and are closed at the top by the ends of the body portion 1. The base or bottom plate 2 is secured to the body portion by suitable fastening devices, and it is provided at the outer ends of the casings with solid portions 4, formed integral w1th the side and end walls and provided with central longitudinal OPQIliIlgSdOI the reception of rods or bolts 5. The solid portions terminate short of the upper edges of the side walls of the casings and are providedwith central triangular bosses 4 which engage y-shaped notches of the ends of the body portion of the whiffletree. By this construction the ends of the body portion of the whiffletree are interlocked with the end casings, being fitted between the side walls thereof'and supported by the solid end portions of the same.

The rods or bolts 5 are adapted to engage the eyes or openings of a pair of traces, and the latter are received within the opening of approximately L-shaped arms 6. The arms 6, which extend outward from the bottom of the whiflletree and upward at the ends thereof, are provided near their upwardly-extending portions with sockets 7 for the reception of the outer ends of the rods or bolts. The upwardly-extending portions of the arms are spaced from the ends of the wlnffletree ,to receive the traces.

The rods or bolts, which constitute traceengaging devices, are provided with shanks 8, extending inward and terminating at opposite sides of the center of the whifiietree and having their inner end portions spirally coiled, the coils 9 being adapted to receive and enage the ends of a flexible connection 10. The flexible connection 10, which may consist of a piece of wire cable, rope, or other suitable material, has a central rearwardlyextending loop 11, the sides of which pass through apertures 12 of the rear wall of the whiifletree. The flexible connection 10 is arranged on guide-pulleys 11, located at opposite sides of the center of the whiffletree, adjacent to the apertures 12. The loop of the flexible connection is adapted to be engaged by an operating-hook 13', having an elongated shank and provided with a handle 14. The hook is designed to be kept within the body of the vehicle, to which the horse-detacher is applied, and it is of a length to permit the driver or other occupant to engage the loop without leaving the vehicle. By leaning over the dashboard the hook may be readily engaged with the loop of the flexible connection, and the trace-engaging devices may be quickly withdrawn from engagement with the traces by pulling upon the loops. The terminals 15 of the coils 9 are tapered and adapted to be readily embedded in the flexible connection.

The shank portions of the rods or bolts, which are preferably of less diameter than the outer or engaging portions of the same, are provided with upwardly-extending bends 16, forming opposite shoulders adapted to be engaged by a spring 17. Each spring 17, which consists of a stout piece of steel or other resilient material, is secured at one end to the bottom plate by a rivet 18 or other suitable fastening device, and its other end is bent transversely and curved to form a hook 19, which artially embraces and conforms to the con 'guration of the shank portion of the rod or bolt. When the rod or bolt is extended or in its engaging position, the engaging portion or hook 19 of the spring lies at the inner side of the bend 16, as illustrated at the left-hand side of Fig. 2 of the drawings, and when the rod or bolt is retracted, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 2 of the drawings, the engaging portion of the spring lies at the outer side of the bend. By this construction the springs are adapted to lock the rod or bolt in either position. The rods or bolts are provided with operating-handles or fingerpieces 20, having shanks or connecting portions which extend through slots 21 of the rear walls of the casings. When it is desired to unhitch a horse, the loop is pulled, which operation retracts the rods or bolts and releases the traces. I/Vhen hitching the horse to the vehicle, the rods or bolts are adapted to be operated independently of each other to permit the traces to be successively secured to the whiffletree.

It will be seen that the horse-detacher is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that the springs are adapted to lock the trace-engaging devices in either position, and that as the springs are only slightly flexed by the reciprocation of the rods or bolts they will last for a great length of time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a horse-detacher, the combination with a whiflietree, of independent trace-engaging devices mounted on. the whiflietree, and independent locking means also mounted on the whiffletree and arranged to engage the said devices at diflerent points for positively holding either or both of them in or out of engagement.

2. In a horse-detacher, the combination of a whiifletree, a reciprocating trace-engaging device provided with opposite shoulders, a spring arranged to engage either of the said shoulders, whereby the trace-engaging device is locked against movement in either direction, and means for operating the traceengaging device.

3. In a horse-detacher, the combination of a whiflletree, reciprocating trace-engaging rods or bolts provided with bends forming inner and outer shoulders, springs secured at one end and provided at the other end with engaging portions extending across the rods or bolts and arranged to engage either the inner or outer shoulders, and means for moving the rods or bolts inward simultaneously, and outward independently of each other.

4. In a horse-detacher, the combination of a whiffletree, reciprocating trace-engaging rods or bolts mounted within the whiflietree, a flexible loop extending from the whifiletree and connected with the rods or bolts, and an operating-hook for'engaging the loop.

5. In a horse-detacher, the combination of a Whifiietree, a reciprocating rod or bolt provided with a spirally-coiled portion, and a flexible connection arranged within and clamped by the spirally-coiled portion.

6. In a horsedetacher, the combination of a whiflletree having a wooden body portion and provided with a base-plate, end casings receiving the body portion, said end casings having side and end walls and provided with solid portions supporting the ends of the said wooden body portion and interlocked therewith, trace-engaging rods or bolts guided in the solid portions of the casings, and means for operating the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JEAN ORTEIG. Witnesses:

JOHN BAGGIORE, W. K. JAMEs. 

